Abstract
Purpose: In this study, it was aimed to examine the technical efficiency of the healthcare systems of OECD countries and the economic factors affecting it.
Methodology: In the current study, input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) with variable returns to scale was used to reveal the technical efficiency levels of the national healthcare systems in OECD countries. After the DEA, a panel Tobit regression was used to analyze some economic factors (per capita gross domestic product by purchasing power parity, as $ (GDP), Gini Coefficient (Gini), inflation rate (Inf), unemployment rate (Unm) and 2008 global economic crisis dummy variable (2008crs)) thought to have effect on the technical efficiency levels of healthcare systems were investigated. The study covered the period of 2000-2016.
Findings: According to the results, income per capita statistically significantly increased the technical efficiency of healthcare systems in OECD countries. In addition, unemployment rate and income distribution unfairness statistically significantly reduced the technical efficiency of healthcare systems in OECD countries. Apart from this, inflation increased the technical efficiency of healthcare systems while 2008 global economic crisis decreased, but the effects of these variables were not found to be statistically significant.
Originality: There is no other study in the literature covering a period as long as the years covered by this study. In addidtion, dividing the years covered by the study into periods made the periods comparable with each other.